Brothers in Arms Bonded by Soul
by PrankMasterFeeney
Summary: The night the Kyuubi attacked, Naruto was not the only one made into a Jinchūriki. The Fourth Hokage split the Kyuubi into two halfs, Yin and Yang, sealing one into Naruto and the other half into the scion of one of Konoha's minor clans, the Maito Clan. Now, as Naruto and Maito Tai begin their struggles to be acknowledged by the village, watch these Brothers in Arms Bonded by Soul!
1. Chapter 1

**Brothers in Arms Bonded by Soul**

Chapter One: Beginning of Bonds

October 10th was meant to be a momentous occasion for the Maito Clan of the Village hidden in the Leaves. Maito Bai, eldest son of Maito Dai, the heroic Eternal Genin who gave his life in battle with the Seven Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist, was to be borne a son! It was meant to be a day of greatness for the family. That is, if not for two complications. His wife, Maito Seren, was holding onto life by a thread after giving birth to a healthy son, who was to be known as Maito Tai. And the other complication?

Oh, it was nothing too big, just the strongest of the Bijuu, the Kyuubi No Kitsune was attacking the village. You know, just a minor complication in the life of the entire village.

Jonin Maito Bai, Taijutsu master and a tree of a man even for the Maito clan, stood 6 feet 8 inches tall and wore the same deep forest green jump suit as his father in order to honor his sacrifice, watched from his wife's hospital room window, fists clenched so tightly that his calloused knuckles turned a deathly white, as the many ninja of the Hidden Leaf rushed to do battle with the monstrous Bijuu in order to keep it from destroying the village, while the many civilian families rushing to the shelters hidden in the Hokage Mountain prayed that their legendary Fourth Hokage, The Yellow Flash of Konoha, Minato Namikaze, would save them from the creature as he saved them from the war with Iwa, the Village Hidden in the Stone.

"It's so unyouthful that I cannot be out there helping in the defense of our fine village, but I must stay with my wife and son, at least until either my wife comes out of surgery or the tests come back on whether or not the Maito family curse will afflict my son..." Maito Bai muttered to himself while he stroked his goatee that he had grown in honor of his father.

However, it seemed that Kami was not on his side that day, as Doctor Yakushi, head of Konoha General and the man in charge of his wife's surgery came into the room, eyes downcast and face gaunt with sadness due the nature of the news he had to deliver to the man sitting in the room. Bai's eyes, which had filled with hope as the doctor entered the room, now drained of any and all emotion after one look at the doctor's face.

"I'm sorry Bai, but Seren...She didn't make it. the complications she suffered from giving birth were too much for her body to handle. Again, I'm sorry." Doctor Yakushi said, as he gave Bai the news. Bai, his posture once held so stiff and strong, slumped into the chair, his head held in between his rough and calloused hands, a product of hundreds of thousands of training hours put in on the training grounds of Konoha. Maito Bai looked up into the doctor's face, desperate hope burned deep in his eyes and clear in his face.

"I understand, doctor, but what about my youthful son? Have the test results come back with any information as to whether or not the unyouthful family curse will afflict him?" Doctor Yakushi let a visible wince shake his gaunt frame, not wanting to have to be the bearer or such damning news to such a desperate man.

"I'm sorry Bai, but the results have returned on your son, and they didn't show any difference from yours...Your son has the same affliction as you. If he manages to live past the age of 5, he will have almost no chakra available to him, as his coils will have been dedicated to fighting the disease."

To Maito Bai, a man of such passion and strength to the people of Konoha, this was the straw that broke the camels back. He could no longer keep his "youthful mask" in place, and he let the tears come rolling down his face and the sobs rack his body. In such deep sorrow he was that he did not notice the orderly come rushing into the room to speak with the doctor in hurried whispers. Doctor Yakushi's eyes widened as the orderly explained the situation to him, and a desperate plan formed in the doctor's mind that could possibly save Maito Bai's son from the desolate future that almost clearly awaited him.

Doctor Yakushi thanked the orderly and told him to wait outside for further orders. Turning to Maito Bai, he reached out and put his hands on both of his shoulders, causing him to look up into the doctor's eyes which were covered by a pair of broad rimmed eyeglasses.

"Bai, listen to me and listen to me closely. The Fourth Hokage has a plan to defeat the rampaging Bijuu attacking the village, however he has requested of us a newborn child to become one of two vessels for the Kyuubi no Kitsune. He already has one child chosen to contain the Yin half of the beast's chakra, but he needs another to hold the Yang half. Bai, this could be it, the cure for your son's condition! If his own chakra could not keep the ailment at bay, maybe the beast's could and he could learn to use his own chakra! This could be the key!"

Now, never let it be said that Maito Bai was a slow thinker nor a man who wouldn't consider all opportunities available to him when faced with a problem. However, this issue was not one that he could truly consider with rational thought, as the pain caused by his disease and struggles to gain recognition from the village after the troubles of his father, Maito Dai, was not something he wanted for his son, even at the cost of becoming a Jinchūriki.

Maito Bai stood to his full hight, righteous purpose burning clear in eyes"I...I will give my consent for this. Inform Lord Hokage of this, and tell him I will see him on the battlefield. I will go help hold back the Kyuubi." And with that, Maito Bai walked to the window, opened it, and jumped out across the rooftops of Konoha, racing towards the battlefield where the Kyuubi no Kitsune rampaged towards his home, the Village Hidden in the Leaves. _I will defend this village, just as you did, father! I will be a hero to them, just like the Hokages!_ Thought Maito Bai, knowing that this battle would most likely be his last due to what he called the Maito "Curse".

The Maito curse was a disease, one that ran through the family reaching back to the days of the Senju and Uchiha clans, when the Maito were minor allies of the Senju clan. They were masters of ninjutsu, only rivaled by the Senju and Uchiha clans, and how they prided themselves upon it! However, that pride was their downfall, as a gene poison was brewed to be used against the main branch of the Maito clan. and used it was by a Uchiha infiltrator, destroying their chakra coils and causing such searing pain when the members of the Maito clan attempted to draw upon their chakra, thus rendering the once proud ninjutsu based clan shattered with no other recourse but to learn and master taijutsu.

The casualties upon the battlefield were so grievous that the clan elders were forced to request a ceasefire from the Uchiha and Senju clans in the hopes that they would not be wiped out. It was luck that the two clans were attempting to make peace at the same time, and thus the salvation of the Maito clan was beheld.

And yet, the Maito clan refused to find a new way of life, attempting to find either a cure for the disease or a workaround to accessing their chakra. However, no Maito ever found a solution to their affliction. That is, until Maito Dai! Though he was looked upon as an eternal genin, the man found a way to access the internal chakra limiters in the body, known as the Eight Inner Gates and release them in order to gain a massive boost of chakra, however temporary it was. Though it took him 20 years to tease and train the secrets of the Eight Gates from his body, his sons, Maito Bai and Maito Gai, had no such issues learning the same techniques from their father and making use of them to reach the rank of Jonin and Chunin, respectively. Proving his prowess with the Eight Gates, as he rushed onto the battlefield barreling straight towards the Kyuubi no Kitsune, Maito Bai began opening the Eight Inner Gates one by one.

"Kaimon: Gate of Opening, OPEN!"

"Kyūmon: Gate of Healing, OPEN!"

"Shōmon: Gate of Life, OPEN!"

"Shomon: Gate of Pain, OPEN!"

"Tomon: Gate of Limit, OPEN!"

"Keimon: Gate of View, OPEN!"

And while his approach towards the Kyuubi continued, Maito Bai moved with such speed that as he continued to open the Eight Gates, it seemed that he left a blurring trail of green energy as he moved with such superhuman speed only seen before from such select shinobi such as the Yellow Flash or the Fourth Raikage, A. As the Kyuubi no Kitsune, Mightiest of all Bijuu turned towards the trail of green rushing towards it, Maito Bai let loose with his father's first technique created using the Eight Gates.

"Morning Peacock!"

Striking the Kyuubi no Kitsune in the foreleg with a kick of such immense strength that the Kyuubi stumbled forward, dangerously close to falling on it's side, the Bijuu was completely unprepared for the seemingly endless barrage of punches wreathed in flames that struck it's undefended flank, causing it to roar in shock and pain! Disbelief warred with immense pain upon the face of the Kyuubi. How could such a insignificant creature such as a mortal make the Kyuubi no Kitsune, Lord of all the Bijuu, feel such emotion such as pain?! It was inconceivable!

Maito Bai, however, knew not of the term, and continued his relentless assault upon the creature, dealing as much damage as he could in order to delay the creature from continuing it's assault upon Konoha to give the Fourth Hokage as much time as he needed to prepare the seals to contain the beast. However, the Kyuubi was not without it's own arsenal of tricks. Flicking it's tails towards the side that was under assault from the _human_ flea, the Kyuubi created such intense winds that not even Maito Bai could stand his ground against them, sending the valiant shinobi crashing into the ground near the rest of Konoha's shinobi forces that were arranged before the mighty Bijuu. Their leader, former Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, was the first to reach the new crater in the ground where the battered form of Maito Bai lay, struggling to escape the rubble strewn around and upon him, keeping him out of the fight.

"Bai, what are you doing? You shouldn't be out here on the battlefield!" Hiruzen barked at him in a commanding tone, the tone of a man known around the Elemental Nations under such aliases as the Kami no Shinobi and The Professor. There was no verbal response to this, other than a single sentence.

"Kyōmon: Gate of Wonder, OPEN!"

With that, the rubble that covered the crater erupted into the sky, flying in every direction and causing the few shinobi that approached the crater to either take cover or Kawarimi out of the danger zone. Those close enough to see the inside of the crater would behold Maito Bai, who stood at his full hight surrounded by a crackling, wavering blue aura. Crouching low to the ground, Bai leaped into the air straight towards the Kyuubi no Kitsune, left arm pulled back into a fist bearing a unique hand seal.

"ROAR, My Everlasting YOUTH! AFTERNOON TIGER!"

And with that, Maito Bai, current head of the Maito Clan, punched the Lord of the Bijuu, the Kyuubi no Kitsune, square in the face.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Hi there everyone!**_

 _ **I do apologize for the small hiatus between chapters. Between working two jobs and basic needs to survive I haven't had much time to write as I would like. This chapter is almost two months in the works, having had to rewrite and rework it almost five different times. However, my dogged persistance finally won out, and I have finished chapter 2! I hope to update the story sooner than last time, but anyways. here is chapter 2 of BiABbS!**_

 _ **Reviews are appreciated, alongside constructive criticism.**_

Brothers in Arms Bonded By Soul

Chapter 2: Such a Springtime of YOUTH!

Maito Tai always knew he was somewhat different from the rest of the village of Konohagakure. As one of the many children orphaned by the Kyuubi no Yoko attack eleven years back, having lost his father alongside the defenders of the village and his mother in childbirth, he was one of the lucky few to have a living relative that was willing to take him in. However, to the people of Konohagakure, this was a choice that one Maito Gai should have not made, and let him live the life of an orphan in the orphanage, if only to keep Tai from falling into green spandex clad madness alongside his "Youthful" Godfather. However, this was not to be, as Maito Gai had adored his older brother Maito Bai, and would have happily died for him without a care in the world. Thus, Gai felt that it fell to him to raise Tai in such a way that he would become a fine shinobi of the Leaf Village, even without the unknown stigma that burdened Tai whenever he walked through the village to get food or go to the ninja Academy for classes.

It was during one such walk after an early morning training session with his godfather on the Anniversary of the Kyuubi's defeat that we find Maito Tai watching with unabashed curiosity as an angry group, closer to a mob without the torches and pitchforks, of civilians with a smattering of low genin and mid level chunin ninja chasing a young boy who was manically laughing his head off, with his shockingly bright blond mane of hair that reached down to his mid back flailing in the wind and eyes that were as blue as the sky clad in a appallingly bright orange jumpsuit with flecks of multiple different paint colors staining the garment that offended Tai's eyes this day. Standing on the side of the street as the chase continued down the main throughfare of the village, Tai could hear people screaming from the crowd and whispers rolling through those standing on the sidewalk alongside him.

"Get back here Uzumaki! You'll pay for this prank dearly!"

"Catch the brat! He's a menace to the safety of the village!"

"Why Hokage-Sama allow such a _creature_ to start training as a ninja is beyond me."

"I know, right? I mean, if he's such a punk now what's to stop him from doing worse if he becomes a ninja?!"

"Nah, haven't you heard? He's the dead last of his ninja class right now. He even worse than the Maito kid, and that one can't even use ninjutsu or genjutsu properly!"

Tai's ears and eyes burned with indignant fury at this last statement, coming from a pair of chunin who were walking down the street, cackling at their hate filled barbs carelessly thrown towards the village's resident troublemaker and current Dead-Last of his academy class. And the insult towards his ineptitude in the favored branches of ninja skills, that was completely uncalled for! Deep within Tai, a small core of pure rage burst from a smoldering ember into a full force raging inferno. Throwing a glare at the backs of the two chunin as they turned down a side street, Tai decided that today, enough was enough! Today, he would show these two fools why he was an master of hard work in the art of taijutsu, and prove that his hard earned skill in taijutsu was something to be respected!

 _ ***Tai's Mindscape, Yang Kyuubi's cage***_

The Yang half of the Kyuubi no Yoko, sealed within Maito Tai as an baby eight years ago, had slumbered in a fitful state of exhausted slumber ever since his mighty self was split into the yin and yang halves and were sealed into two newborn babes. He felt that the Yin half had gotten the better host, whereas he was sealed into the badly damaged chakra network of the brat he now resided in. Upon waking temporarily for the first time four years prior, the Kyuubi was astounded at how badly the containers chakra pathways were damaged from birth. Knowing that if the pathways were not healed and healed properly, that he was never going to be able to weaken the seal enough to break free, the Kyuubi began putting the abundance of Yang energy that made up his being into an effort of healing the network of energy lines that ran throughout his new host body.

Now, however, the body's natural pathways had recovered enough for the Kyuubi to have some semblance of comfort in the seal, instead of a crumbling hovel of a cage. Not anywhere near close to a full recovery that they would make by the time the brat was fully grown, but enough for the Kyuubi to start passively attempting to influence the human that held him captive. However, this was not his work. The growing seed of rage that now flowed through the boy's mind? That was not the work of a half awake Kyuubi no Yoko. That anger and rage was all 100% young Maito Tai.

 _ **This is interesting…Prove that you are at least an interesting host, and I might keep healing your pathways puny mortal.**_ The Kyuubi thought with a thundering yawn as he placed his paws beneath his massive head in an attempt to make his cell more accommodating of a nap.

What? Even the mighty Kyuubi no Yoko, strongest of the Bijuu, needs his beauty sleep.

 ***Outside Tai's mindscape, Streets of Konohagakure***

Iwaganji Mansu and Karasuke Manji were both mid-level chunin in rank and ability, having barely squeaked out a win in their respective Chunin Exams in Suna and Kumo. However, as being the few who actually made it to the middle rank, they felt they deserved the respect of those lower on the totem pole than them. Thus, while walking down a side street after getting lunch on their day off, they did not expect to be accosted by a young academy student who bounced a rock off the back of their heads with unerring accuracy. Turning to look, they saw a young man with thick black hair wrapped into a set of nine wire braided dreadlocks running down the back of his neck, who was wearing a two-piece leaf green jumpsuit and a pair of white shin guards and arm guards with the kanji for Hard Work and Youth engraved onto them, with a deep maroon scarf wrapped around his neck, the ends trailing from either side of his neck like a pair of bloody pigtails.

"Huh, would you look at that Mansu, it's the Maito loser who can't use any justu! I think he wants a beat down from a pair of his superiors, eh?" Chuckled Manji, an evil glint in his eyes.

"Your right Manji, lets show this little brat what happens when you mess with actual ninja who can use jutsu." Mansu agreed, that same evil glint in his eyes as was in his compatriot's eyes.

Tai just glared at them, and set his body into a low crouching combat stance, one foot set behind the other in case he needed to push himself forward quickly, all the while pulling out a pair of iron studded knuckle gloves, and slipping them onto his hands.

"You won't be doing anything but sitting in the hospital for a while when I'm through with the pair of you. I'll show you not to mess with a Master of Hard Work! For I am in the Springtime of YOUTH!" Tai snarled, and with that, dashed at the two chunin ninja, promising pain with his eyes, determined to beat these two into submission

 ***Two hours later, Konoha Ninja Academy, Iruka Umino's class***

"Naruto, why do you spend so much time pranking when you should be SPENDING IT IN CLASS STUDYING!" Iruka Umino, Chunin Instructor of Konoha's Ninja Academy, roared at the captive bound Naruto Uzumaki, his Big Head no Jutsu in full effect, which would have effectively cowed any other student into submission.

Any other student than Naruto Uzumaki that is.

"….." Silence was the only response that Iruka got from Naruto, who had a sullen look of frustration upon his face, at what though Iruka could only guess at.

"Alright Naruto, go take your seat next to…Class, where is Maito Tai?" Asked Iruka, wondering how he hadn't noticed the boy leave the class.

"Him? He never showed. He must have realized it was his fate to not pass the exams and decided to skip." Neji Hyuuga, the for Rookie of the Year announced with a smirk on his face, getting a couple of snickers and chortles from his classmates. However, he was startled to see Naruto's head whip towards him, a glare filled with vitrol and hatred boring right into his very being.

"Insult him again and I'll make sure you regret ever saying such things." Naruto said in a soft spoken voice, however, it was filled with such a large amount of malice and barely restrained hatred that it shocked even Iruka, who knew Naruto was usually soft spoken and introspective unless he was pulling a prank of some kind.

"Oh? What will you, the dead last, be able to do to one such as myself? It is fate that you cannot lay a single hand on me in any of our spars." Said Neji with a sneer marring his face. Naruto popped up from the floor, shedding his bindings in less than a second, and with speed nobody knew he possessed, dashed across the room to punch Neji clean in the nose.

CRUNCH!

Neji let loose a clear scream of pain, having not been expecting such a sudden attack from the class dead last and as such was unprepared to defend himself.

"Well? Was that a part of your fate? Huh? Come on! Tell me, was that destined to happen? Go ahead and tell me why if I'm the dead last I can get such a hit on the famed Hyuuga prodigy?" Naruto demanded, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet, adrenaline and blood rushing through his veins after scoring a clean hit on Neji.

"NARUTO! Stand down NOW!" Iruka roared, His Demon Big Head no Jutsu out in its full glory, the only thing capable of effectively scaring Naruto into submission. As Naruto backed away from Neji, Iruka pointed to the corner, where a chair and desk were sitting facing the blackboard. Naruto stood defiantly for a moment, staring Iruka down with only a small shimmer of fear in his eyes. That is, until Iruka growled and began snorting fire. Slumping over in defeat, Naruto slunk over to the desk in the corner, and took a seat, taking a well-worn book and brush out of the desk and begun writing "I will not harm my classmates outside of spars" over and over in kanji.

Iruka sighed, and let the Demond Big Head no Jutsu drop, and waved Mizuki over to Neji.

"Mizuki, please take Neji to the infirmary so the nurse can set his nose back into place. Class dismissed for the day, except you Naruto. I want that book filled with 30 pages of kanji before you can leave."

The students all filed out of class after Mizuki, Iruka and Neji, whispering to themselves and each other about the display they had seen in class.

Sighing, Naruto looked from the windows overlooking the academy grounds, then back to his punishment book. Today really just wasn't his day.

"Happy Birthday to me." Naruto muttered under his breath, as he began his punishment for the day, only to stop twenty minutes later when he heard the sound of someone limping down the hallway towards his classroom. Curiosity turned to shock as the battered form of Maito Tai pushed the classroom door to the side, and limped into the room. Turing towards Naruto, the boy let out a bloodied grin.

"I heard about your youthful defense of me during class against Neji and wanted to come and thank you in person for such a youthful display."

And with that, Maito Tai passed out on the floor with a groan, hitting the ground with a meaty thud. Naruto just looked at his unconscious form, an exasperated sweatdrop forming on the back of his head.

What the hell did he do, challenge a pair of chunin to a fight or something?


End file.
